All Grown Up Roasted Tomato Soup

Adding a few simple grown up touches to a favourite childhood classic

The one social media trend I cannot deny loving is “Soup Season” aka #SOUPSZN. We are total “slurpsluts” in this house, and I am always looking for new ways to up the game. We’ve mastered the broths, stocks, demis and now it’s time to put them to good use. I’ll throw some of our previous recipes in here just to make you angry because you want them all right now.

A Basic Lunch Staple Holds a Secret Chefs Strive to Achieve

For me, a piping hot bowl of Campbells Tomato, a slab of government cheese in between a couple of slices of Wonder bread, toasted golden in butter and a few crunchy dill spears was a formative staple before I even realized what was happening. You don’t even realize it, but that simple dish includes every single receptor trigger your watering mouth craves, minus the heat. It covers salt, sweet and acid. Dipped into the soup, that sandwich becomes an umami vessel. Cut those velvety notes with a bite of that pickle and repeat. That, my friends is what Michelin Star chefs strive to achieve. The balance. This meal has it pre-built in.

So, we have the foundation. Now we need to tweak within the lines and make this balance sing. That always starts with beginning from scratch, but with this soup that isn’t as hard as it sounds.

Basic Ingredients + Basic Method = Best Flavour

This recipe is so simple, rustic and has very few ingredients. Like I said in the mushroom soup post, don’t mess around and ruin the perfection of simplicity here. You don’t need to mess with additions here. Tomato, Passata (strained tomato,) Tomato paste, Chicken stock, Onion, Jalapeno, Garlic, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper. That’s it. Anything more will take it off the road we are on here. Let’s get at it!

What You Need

6 Hot House Tomatoes - Halved
1 White Onion - Sliced into thick rings
4 Roma Tomatoes - Halved
3 Garlic Cloves - Sliced thin
3 Jalapeno Peppers - Seeded and sliced
1 Can (or tube of the good stuff) Tomato Paste
1 680ml Jar of Passata
1 Litre of Chicken Stock (Store bought will do. Just add 1 or 2 Knorr Stock Cubes)
1/2 Cup Olive Oil + Drizzle for roasting
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 375°F on ROAST setting.
Start by lining a baking sheet with parchement paper. Slice the onions and create a “bed” on the sheet. Next, clean and slice your jalapeno peppers and garlic and spread evenly over the onions. Give them a little S&P and olive oil drizzle here. Now, slice those tomatoes in half and lay open side up over the bed you just made. Hit them with some more salt and pepper and a drizzle of the olive oil.

Broil Hot, But Keep Your Eyes on it!

Let these guys get some colour on the cut side, then flip them over to blister and brown the skin. Watch them close so they don’t become carbon!

Sweat off your Tomato Paste!

This stands for just about anything you use Tomato Paste for. You want to splash a bit of oil in your simmer pot, squirt your tomato paste in (buy the expensive one in the tube. It’s worth it.) You want to cook out that “tinny” flavour and get those sugars doing their thing. Just like we did when we broiled the tomato.

Add your Passato, Chicken Stock and Bring to a Simmering Boil BEFORE Adding the Roasted Tomato & Veg

Get this simmering on a Low-Medium heat. Add your roasted veggies and let it simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Let it Cool. Strain Into a Holding Pot and Blitz!

Let the pot cool a bit. Using a second pot, strain the contents into it and put the solids into your blender. Blitz until smooth and add to the pot you just drained them in. Heat on low and stir well for about 10 minutes.

Make Grilled Cheese with Sourdough and Your Favourite Cheese

We made ours with a cheese and onion sourdough boule, filled with “Guernsey Girl” Upper Canada Cheese Company Cheese and an Extra Old Cheddar. Feel free to add onion and bacon inside, like I wanted to but got too lazy and just went traditional.